Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo 295d

The four prospects who could break up the 2023 NBA draft's Big Three

NBA, NBA Draft, Insider Men's College Basketball

Any discussion of the top prospects in the 2023 NBA draft has primarily focused on three names -- Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson. Wembanyama and Henderson jumped out of the gates early as the presumptive top two picks, while Miller joined them as the college basketball season moved on. All three remain at the center of the conversation now that the draft order has been set.

For NBA evaluators, the next two weeks ahead of the draft June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn will be crucial. Workouts, off-court intel, medicals and deep film sessions will help determine the rest of their draft boards, especially as they attempt to decipher which players could end up exceeding expectations and emerging as All-Stars from outside the top three.

When the results of the 2023 draft are assessed many years from now, will the top three picks prove to be the top three players selected? History would suggest that's unlikely.

With that in mind, ESPN's NBA draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo evaluated four players who are plausible candidates to break up the presumed Big Three hegemony long-term, listing the reasons each could break through, thinking about why they might fail and discussing the potential teams that could be the best fits for helping them reach their full potential.


Amen Thompson | Overtime Elite | Top 100 rank: No. 4

Why Amen might be better than the Big Three

Amen Thompson has a higher ceiling than any prospect in this class not named Wembanyama. Combine Jaylen Brown's physical tools, Jaden Ivey's change of gear explosiveness, Andre Iguodala's court vision/passing and OG Anunoby's defensive versatility, and you have a (perhaps hyperbolic) picture of what makes Thompson the most fascinating prospect in this class.

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